Truck Safety

at Mines
Or, how to keep from getting run over, crushed, engulfed,
electrocuted, die from a fall, or drown at a mine.
California mines share a common
bond with California’s truckers.

Together, we supply the materials

that help feed, build and maintain
California.

It is a true partnership that is an

important part of the foundation of
California’s economy and growth.
Because we all care for one another’s
safety and well being, it’s important
to understand the safety challenges
to truckers and miners alike.

The number of trucks, their

movement through mines and
plants, their interaction with heavy
equipment, smaller vehicles and
workers on foot, volume of materials,
the pace of activity, and the
numerous hazards on mine sites
must be everyone’s concern.

Our industries benefit from a mutual

understanding of safe practices.
While there are many safety
practices truckers are familiar with
for driving on public roads, there are
also a number of rules specific to
mine sites.

Some of these rules may be specific

to a mine site, others are mandated
by Federal, State and even local
regulatory agencies.

Failure for truckers to follow these

rules can result in sanctions or fines
or mine operations may prohibit a
trucker from returning to a site for
violation of rules.
Mining is an inherently dangerous
operation. Despite advances in
safety practices and regulation, there
continue to be injuries and fatalities
each year at mine sites.

When trucks enter mine sites, they

are part of the mine work
environment.

A high percentage of mine accidents

and fatalities involve mobile
equipment and trucks.
 Heavy mobile equipment, such as
loaders, scrapers, excavators, haul
trucks, and water trucks.

 Smaller vehicles, such as pickup

trucks, vans, and delivery vehicles.
Hazards
 Workers on foot. At
 Obstructed Visibility. A mine site
has many obstacles and conditions
Mine
Sites
that obstruct a driver’s visibility.
These include:
 Heavy equipment
 Stockpiles
 Mine faces and contours
 Dust
 Night operations
 Mine Roadways can be a Challenge
 Usually unpaved
 Often narrow, elevated, and with
obstructions
 Change from time-to-time.
 Can be rutted from use or rains
 Low speed limits
 May follow contours of the mine or
stockpiles and, thus, have obstructed
views

 Falling Rock and Mine Walls

 Quarry and pit walls can be unstable and
result in falling rocks or slides of earth off
a quarry or pit walls.
 Stockpiles
 Stockpiles of products, recycled material,
or loose dirt pose several hazards
 Can be an obstruction for driver’s visibility
 Front end loaders and workers can be on
foot in these areas
 Stockpiles can also become unstable
resulting in loose rocks or slides of entire
piles
 Overhead Lines & Objects
 Be aware of overhead power lines or plant
equipment.
 Accumulation of dirt and materials on the
ground over time may reduce clearances.

 Explosives
 Quarry and other hard rock mining
operations conduct blasting operations.
 Flying rock cannot always be controlled
 Be aware of blasting activities and areas at
the mine.
 Plant and Processing Equipment
 Conveyors, sorters, crushers, and other
plant equipment are often continuously in
operation.
 May deposit material on roadway or
shoot off rocks.
 Loose clothing, hands, or feet that come
in contact with the equipment can quickly
entrap a person.

 Electrical
 High voltages, numerous cords, and
charged equipment

 Water Hazards
 Lakes and ponds for dredging operations,
flowing streams or rivers, ponds to
accumulate water runoff, moisture on
equipment and stockpiles, and puddles
and muddy areas due to weather.
 Tripping and Falling Hazards
 Tripping and falling hazards are the most
common type of hazards found in any
work place.
 Mines are inherently prone to tripping
hazards from uneven surfaces, strewn
rocks, discarded equipment, and chords
on the ground.
 Even paved areas can present tripping and
falling hazards.
 Changing Conditions
 A mine, plant, roadways, or loading areas
can be different each time a trucker
arrives.
 A mine pit can change due to more
digging
 Plant areas can be re-configured due to
changes in location of materials or
product needs.
 Stockpiles can change in size, location,
and number due to product demand.
 Loading areas may change due to changed
product stockpiles
 Safety
 Mine Site Training
 MSHA requires that truckers travelling
Rules
onto a mine get training in the specific
hazards of that mine.
 Safety signs also provide guidance to
safety at the mine site.
 This training is provided by the mine
 To learn how to get this training, contact
the scale house or mine company’s office.
 Most crucial safety considerations

 Loading areas
 Relationship of the driver to the
Safety
truck
 Travel through the mine and plant
area.
Rules
Follow Mine Traffic Rules
 Each mine will have specific traffic
rules.
 These include speed limits, traffic
patterns, and which side of the
road to drive on.
 These make travelling through the
mine and plant safer for both the
trucker and workers.
 Wear seat belts
 This is important for public roads as well
as mine site travel, MSHA and CalOSHA
can site the trucker for not wearing a seat
belt on a mine site.

 Yield to heavy equipment

 Stop first.
 Make visual contact with the heavy
equipment operator
 Wait until the operator motions you by, or
he/she takes the right-of-way
 Stay Alert when travelling in
loading areas
 Watch for plant workers on foot
 Watch for heavy equipment or smaller
vehicles, such as pickups, and other trucks
hauling aggregates
 Stockpiles can create blind spots
 Keep your speed down in these areas

 Stay Back from Stockpiles

 By staying a distance away, you will be
more visible to other vehicles and the
loader(s)
 This also protects you from potential
engulfment if stockpiles collapse
 Do not stand, walk, park, or drive close to
the base of a stockpile.
 Do Not Pull In Behind a Loader or
Heavy Equipment.
 Heavy equipment operators have limited
visibility.
 If a loader is digging in a stockpile, or
there is other heavy equipment stopped
at the plant, stop well behind them.
 Stay In Your Trucks
 If possible, stay in your truck!
 Every time a driver steps out of their
truck, the hazards for a driver increase.
 Remaining in a truck is the single best
thing a driver can do to protect
themselves at a mine
 If a driver does get out of a truck, wear
hard hats, safety glasses, vests, and other
protective equipment.
 Do Not Climb on Trucks!
 Every time a trucker climbs on a truck
there is a possibility for a fall. Even falling
6 feet can kill a person.
 This is a serious and common concern
with truckers at mines.
 Most mines prohibit climbing on trucks or
trailers
 MSHA can remove a driver and issue a
citation.
 Some mines may prohibit a driver from
returning.
 Do Not Climb on Trucks!
 These are options to consider if there is
need to trim or level a load:
 Use a tarp system that can be operated
from the cab or ground
 Request assistance from a loader
operator.
 Utilize a loading structure, if available,
to rake the load. Remember to use
safety harnesses to avoid a fall.
 Do Not Climb on Trucks!
 Only tarp or trim loads in designated
areas.
 The CA Vehicle Code specifically requires
that aggregate plants designate a location
for truckers to tarp or trim loads on the
mine site.
 Note: A designated location is not
required if there is less than 100 yards
from the scale house to the exit. At such
locations, the truck may not travel more
than 200 yards on public roads without
tarping or leveling the load.
 Honk Before Moving
 MSHA requires that all trucks honk their
horns when starting from a pro-longed
stop (about 30 seconds).
 Horns should also be honked prior to
moving if there are other nearby hazards,
such as blind spots, traffic, or people.
 Horn honking protects miners and
truckers who may be unaware that a truck
is about to move.
 Have a Back-Up Alarm
 The California Vehicle Code requires that
trucks hauling aggregates, cement or
other bulk materials be equipped with a
working back-up alarm.
 This is enforced by the California Highway
Patrol through the biennial inspection of
terminal (BIT).
 In addition, both MSHA and CalOSHA
enforce regulations for back-up alarms on
mine sites.
 Exit a Mine Carefully
 Remember to continue driving safely as
you leave a mine site.

 How truckers exit a mine and drive on the

roads near a mine can be important to the
home owners, farmers, businesses, and
drivers in the local community.

 Some mines will require wheel washing to

reduce dust and track out from the mine.
This helps keep the streets clean in the
surrounding community.

 Extend road courtesy to other vehicles at

all times. Help the mine operator to be a
good neighbor.
 Know Your Routes
 Be sure to know which roads to take to
projects sites or batch plants.
 Some communities will have special speed
limits, routes for truck travel or limits
during certain days or hours.
 Pre-planning of trips saves time and
makes for a safer trip.
REMEMBER!

 Your safety matters.

 We are part of a team that cares

for each other’s safety.

 With your help and cooperation,

everyone gets to go home at the
end of the day, safe and sound.

 If you have any questions or

concerns, please ask.
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